Chapter 378: Saint

Now my heart is full of fear; if it had been a day later, if Yun chu hadn't immediately decided to come to the Xie family, if that night had been a day later, Qiuju would be gone.

She could no longer see.

Seeing Qiuju's state, she asked for nothing more, only wishing the child to live well, whether married or not, her Kang family could support them.

Kang Baihe looked at her mother's appearance, even doubtingly pulling at her own ears, wondering if this really was her mother.

Although Mother used to be gentle as well, she would educate them to be good wives and mothers, to respect their parents-in-law, but now Mother has changed, she is different.

"Mother." Kang Baihe embraced Zhuang Miao's waist.

Zhuang Miao stared, looking at the usually strong eldest maid, "If you suffer injustice in the future, don't bear it alone; tell Mother, Mother will decide for you, Mother will find a way."

"Everything has Mother, and the Kang family; you have nothing to fear, understand?"

Kang Zi Wei looked at her changed mother, also at her elder and second sisters, and let out a soft sigh.

The Dean had said, this is the sorrow of this era.

"Good." Kang Baihe nodded; at this moment her heart finally settled, she too had backing, she had her natal family supporting her.

It was as if the weight that had pressed on her like a mountain before was now gone, because she knew she had a way out.

The Yan family's branch, hearing that Yan JiaoJiao had been wronged, each grabbed a stick and came; entering the Xie family's premises without a word, they were about to start fighting.

"But..."

"Yan family, are you planning to rebel?"

"One Voice" shouted angrily, looking at the Yan family's current state, the County Magistrate kicked straight at the person leading the group.

"Yan Lao Er, this is Yan City, but not your Yan family's domain, nor a place where your Yan family can act lawlessly and run wild."

Yan Lao Er was stunned; when had the County Magistrate arrived?

Moreover, they used to greet each other with smiles, the County Magistrate who was like a smiling tiger; now how could he speak to him like this?

Yan Lao Er's mind hadn't even reacted when the constables pressed him down.

"County Magistrate, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

"I didn't come to cause trouble for the Xie family; I came to find the Zhuang family, they bullied my daughter..."

Yan Lao Er hurriedly spoke, "On my daughter's wedding day, the Zhuang family struck her—isn't that slapping the Yan family's face?"

"How are we Yan family supposed to live on in Yan City from now on?"

"County Magistrate, today is my daughter's wedding day; please honor us with a drink, I, Yan Lao Er, will certainly be grateful."

……

The County Magistrate took his sleeve, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Before, I thought Yan Lao Er was clever; why does he have no sense of hierarchy now?

"Take him away and lock him in the big prison." The County Magistrate hurriedly spoke, fearing that if Yan Lao Er said anything else, the Princess Consort would misunderstand him, and his own head wouldn't be safe.

He had heard that the Qing feng County Magistrate had already been arrested and taken to the capital for trial.

Would he follow in his footsteps!

Thinking this, the County Magistrate spoke again, "What are you waiting for? Take them down."

Yan Lao Er's eyes flashed with ferocity as he looked at the County Magistrate, "You were raised by my Yan family; give face or don't, my Yan family can certainly bring you down."

The County Magistrate's face turned ashen; if he still wanted to protect the Yan family at this point, he would really die.

"This matter..."

"Lock them up! No one is allowed to visit; everyone must be kept separate in detention."

Jiang Yunchu raised her eyebrows; this County Magistrate seemed soft-hearted, but unexpectedly he was a tough nut.

But what exactly is the relationship with the Yan family? That still needs to be investigated.

Yan family, what exactly gives them the confidence to support a County Magistrate?

Jiang Yunchu sat on a side chair, playing with a token in her hand; the characters on it were simple, "Saint."

Seeing the token is like seeing the ruler.

Every time Fang Zi Lun saw her turning the token, he couldn't help but twitch his mouth; if the people of Ning Jing saw it, everyone would want that token, yet it was being played with as a mere ornament—who knows how much psychological shadow it casts.

"Dean." At that moment, Ning Hanmo walked over.

Behind him followed ten people; aside from Kang Zi Wei guarding the house, everyone was here.

"This is evidence of the Xie family oppressing civilians."

"This is evidence of the Xie family forcibly seizing land."

"This is evidence of the Xie family bribing officials."

……

Line after line, row after row, all the witnesses' signatures are on it; wanting to recant? Don't even think about it!

"This is the Xie family's shady business dealings, this is the Xie family's accounting and tax issues, this is the private ledger between the Xie and Yan families."

Zhang Cunwen produced a new ledger, and many ledgers; he recorded all the problems discovered from within the ledgers.

"Moreover, when the Xie family built their fortune, they seized the homes and land of their own clan; that person was beaten to death by Xie Feng's father, he left no descendants, and no one filed a complaint."

"However, I found an elderly person from years ago, and also retrieved the original land deed from the Xie family."

"Because there was no one, the deed was never transferred; although the Xie Feng family has lived there all along, the deed still bears the former owner's name."

……

"These are just a fraction; over the past three years, relying on the Yan family's protection, the Xie family has become even more arrogant, seizing land, and Xie Feng secretly abducting civilian women, though they are kept elsewhere, the Yan family doesn't know—what would Qiuju's nature be if she found out?"

One after another, item after item, several children took only a day's time.

Jiang Yunchu was somewhat surprised; she had thought it would take at least three days, "How did you manage it?"

Her question was also the question of everyone in the courtyard.

Ning Hanmo smiled, "Money can make ghosts turn millstones; the Xie family's money, don't waste it for nothing!"

Taking from the people, using for the people, eliminating harm for the people—what a good thing?

Let him go door‑to‑door to investigate—it would be better to simply bring out the silver, place it at the Main Gate, and naturally someone will deliver the news……

With a clue, investigation is easy; even at great cost, what could remain undiscovered?

Feng Che looked at Ning Hanmo, just a boy of a few years, not much older than Xi Xi, yet his way of thinking was no different from an adult's.

If it were me, could I do that?

Feng Che shook his head; he couldn't do it!

With this realization, he scrutinized his lady's cousin even more, and his thoughts grew deeper.

"Magistrate, I hope you will enforce the law impartially, of course……"

She fiddled with her fingers, "You can or you cannot."

"Naturally there are those who enforce the law impartially."

"Threats, blatant threats."

"Yes, I, the humble official, will surely enforce the law impartially and bring clarity to the people." The magistrate wiped his sweat over and over, now daring not to harbor any partiality.

The Princess Consort is here, her voice reaches the imperial ears.